You’ve probably heard by now of the NPR Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books list (http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books). The list has been criticized, rightfully, for being skewed towards recent and popular books, and excludes many of the older grandmasters of science fiction and fantasy, not to mention that it treats these two very different genres as equivalent. For an imperfect metric, however, it certainly offers some food for thought. The following is my list of favorite authors off the list of winners, in no particular order, followed by my favorites from the finalists that didn’t make the final cut.
From the Winners
1. Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
2. Orson Scott Card: Ender’s Game/Tales of Alvin Maker
3. Frank Herbert: Dune
4. William Goldman: The Princess Bride
5. George Orwell: Animal Farm
6. Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash/The Diamond Age
6. Neil Gaiman: Sandman/Neverwhere/American Gods
7. Richard Adams: Watership Down
8. Robert Heinlein: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress/Stranger in a Strange Land
9. Ray Bradbury: Something Wicked This Way Comes
10. Isaac Asimov: Foundation/Caves of Steel/I, Robot
11. Raymond E. Feist: Riftwar Saga
12. Dan Simmons: Hyperion Cantos
13. William Gibson: Neuromancer
From the Finalists
1. Richard K. Morgan: Altered Carbon
2. Anne Bishop: The Black Jewels series
3. Barry Hughart: Bridge of Birds/Story of the Stone/Eight Skilled Gentlemen
4. David Brin: Earth/Uplift
5. Guy Gavriel Kay: The Fionavar Tapestry/Tigana
6. Tim Powers: Last Call/Anubis Gates
7. Tad Williams: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn/Otherland
As you can see, what caught my eye was mostly the books with excellent world-building or unique perspectives. These are the best of the ones off the list that I’ve read, and I’d be interested in hearing what other people think. Feel free to drop me a line in the Comments section.
Respectfully.
Arshad Ahsanuddin
Tags: Arshad Ahsanuddin, author, fantasy, indie author, indie writer, npr, scifi, top list, writer, writing
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